Got Hope?

My Grandpa Evans passed away last night. My grandma passed away some 25 years ago so it's cool that he finally gets to see her again. He waited a long time.

Even as a believer I sometimes wonder if heaven will be boring. Are we just gonna bow at the throne and worship all day and sniff incense? And then I remembered that God put over 200 different muscles in a single caterpillar. If He bothered to be that creative with the earth and everything in it, how much more will heaven rock?

My grandpa was basically blind. But no more. A line from a Mercy Me song comes to mind: "The blind frozen, by colors in view."

Are you coming to the party?

Closed door or Challenge?

Our time at Austin Peay State Univ yesterday was fruitful. We learned a lot. But not what we wanted. Basically the only way for a student to get in-state tuition is for the parents to move (we're not moving) or to not claim the student as a dependent. Soooo...... we are kicking Andrew out!

No, not really.

But we were pretty bummed. Stunned actually. We thought we knew what the plan was. We sat around at the University Center wondering what the heck to do. Then Jacob called about the church being open so we drove there to unload Andrew's drums. When we got there most of the band members were present so we got to meet them for the first time. Andrew felt pretty good after that.

We talked some and went apartment shopping and found some decent places. So it looks like the plan right now may be for him to take one year off school so we can file 2009 taxes without claiming him as a dependent. Then in a year he can get the in-state tuition rate. We will see.

It was cool talking with him late last night about how God works. And we both wondered out loud if this is a closed door from Him or the enemies attempt to keep Andrew from following God. Anyone else wonder why He doesn't just speak audibly? That would make this so much easier. But maybe that would take the whole faith equation away. I think God is way more interested in us connecting and seeking Him than He is in just giving us an answer. It's all about who we are becoming on the journey and not the destination.

I've noted this quote from Brennan Manning numerous times and it is so appropriate here:

"Craving clarity we seek to eliminate the risk of trusting God."

A big day

I'm in Clarksville, TN with my son Andrew. He is moving here to join a worship band and go to college at Austin Peay State University. Today is a big day. No, today is a huge day. There is about $10,000.00 per year difference in tuition for in-state and out-of-state residents.

We can not afford the out of state rate.

We need God to come through in a big way. Not sure what we will do if not. Andrew needs to be a full time student to have health insurance. And to not have to start paying back the student loans we already have. And then there's lodging (we have no idea where he is going to live at this point) and auto insurance and the list goes on and on.

God, are you here with us? Is this where you want Andrew to be? We've asked you before and we think the answer is "yes". I guess that's one way of determining His will. You walk through doors until they close.

I feel like I'm way out on a limb here as a father. Maybe that's how He felt when He sent His son to die for us. That is His rescue plan. There is no plan "B".

God vs. grass-eating bull

Psalm 106:20 struck me this morning.

The Psalmist is re-capping a little Israeli history. They havn't been too long from Egypt when they lost patience waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain after his conference with God. So they melted all their gold and made a calf. They wanted something to worship. Something to capture their imaginations.

"They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull." (NLT)

Ouch!

Makes me realize I've traded God for trivial, meaningless things.

Got any grass-eating bulls in your life?